Vehicle-brake.



Patented Aug. l5, I899. I

F. P. EDDY.

VEHICLE BRAKE.

(Application filed. Nov. 12, 1998.

(No Model.)

q/Vuneoaeo NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FRANK P. EDDY, OF EUNICE, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 630,871, dated August 15, 1899.

Application filed November 12, 1898. Serial No. 696,264. (No model.)

have invented a new and useful Vehicle-' Brakepf which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to vehiclebrakes, and more particularly to an automatic brake which operates to check or stop the vehicle the moment the draft thereon is slackened or stopped.

lhe object of the invention is to'provide an exceedingly cheap and simple construction of automatic brake which can be applied to any of the vehicles now in use without disturbing the running-gear proper.

Another object is to provide means for re ulating the tension of the brake-operating mechanism whereby the brake-shoe can be applied quickly or grad ually, according to the weight of the load being carried.

With these objects in view the invention consists, essentially, of a brake-beam suspended beneath the body of the vehicle and carrying brake-shoes at its ends adapted to contact with the rear wheel, spring-operated means attached to the rear axle and connected with the brake-beam to draw the shoes into such contact, and chains and levers arranged in advance of the brake-beam and connected with a draft-evener or doubletree, whereby the brake beam and shoes are held released so long as draft is applied to the evener or doubletree.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction and novelties of combination, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a top plan View of the running-gear and brake mechanism, and Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section of the vehicle and gear.

In carrying out myinvention I employ the ordinary form of running-gear comprising the front axle and bolster A, the rear axle and bolster B, connecting reach or pole O, and the front hounds A and the rear hounds B.

The brake-beam D is suspended from the body of the vehicle by means of suitable rings D and carries brake-shoes D at its opposite ends, adapted to contact with the rear wheels.

' evener.

Chains or rods E are attached to the brakebeam D near each end, said chains or rods E extending rearwardly and connected to a follower-plate F, arranged upon the bolt G, which passes through the rear axle and has a spiral spring H arranged thereon between the head of the boltand the follower-plate F, the purpose of said spring being to normally hold the brake shoes against the Wheel through the medium of the rods or chains E. The tension of the spring H upon the follower-plate F is regulated through the me dium of an end nut I, mounted upon the end of the bolt upon the rear side of the rear axle B, and by tightening or loosening the said nut the bolt is adjusted in the axle, and consequently the tension of the spring increases or decreases, as desired' Chains or rods K are attached to the forward side of the brake -beam opposite the rods or chains E and extend forwardly, connecting at their forward end to the levers K, pivotally connected to each other and to the reach 0, directly to the rear of the front hounds. The rods or chains K are connected to the levers intermediate their ends, and chains L are attached to the outer ends of the levers and extend forwardly and connect with the doubletree or evener upon opposite sides of the pivot, and in order to insure uniform operation of the'various parts I arrange crosschains M, which extend from the chains L from a point about midway the length of said chains and connect with the end of the oppositely-arranged lever K, and by means of this construction both levers will be operated whether the draft is equal or unequal, as it will be seen that both levers are connected directly to both sides of the doubletree or longitudinally at N for a short distance where the pivotal bolt passes in orderto permit a limited movement of the said tongue without interfering with the brake mechanism. In operation it will be understood that the spring will normally hold the brake-shoes in contact with the rear wheels; but the moment the draft is exerted upon the doubletree or evener the forward chains operate upon the levers K, drawing their outer ends forwardly, which action causes the chains K to be drawn forwardly and pulls the break-beam forward and The tongue or draft-pole is slotted releases the brake. The moment, however, the draft ceases or slackens the spring begins to act and draw the brake-shoe against the rear wheels, and by regulating the tension of the spring the brakes can be made to act quickly or gradually, according to the weight of the load to be carried. When it is desired to back the wagon without applying the brakes, the draft-animals are turned to one side, throwing the entire draft upon one side of the evener, and this operation serves to hold the levers K forwardly and the brake released.

Another advantage of the invention is that when starting the evener has a limited movement on account of the slot in the pole or tongue, and-the draft is first applied to the spring, so that the strain upon the animals in starting is considerably decreased.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. -In a vehicle-brake, the combination with the draft-evener, of the chains extending rearwardly therefrom, the levers to which said chains are connected, said levers being also connected with the brake-beam, and the crosschain extending from the draft-chains -to the ends of the'oppositely-arranged levers, sublVitn esses:

.TAcoB Srsnonnns, JOHN J. TAYLOR. 

